Strength of a bond-One shot-
by FallenQueen2
Summary: Aftermath of 239. The bonds between Hitsugaya and Hyorinmaru that are shocking to some of the other shinigami. Ft. Ichigo, Unohana, Ukitake and Kyoraku. AU I guess


**Bleach- Strength of a bond –One shot-**

**Aftermath of 239. The bonds between Hitsugaya and Hyorinmaru that are shocking to some of the other shinigami.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.**

* * *

**Strength of a bond.**

Ichigo Kurosaki watched as the humanoid version of Hyorinmaru landed on the ground with the white haired taicho cradled securely in arms. The battle between the two ice wielders had been intense and had left him breathless just from watching. He used shunpo to get down to where the materialized zanpakuto and taicho were located.

"Toshiro!" Ichigo exclaimed seeing up close how badly off the small white haired boy was.

"He used all his power to make me remember. Please let him rest for a while." Hyorinmaru said in his deep voice, gently cradling his master in his arms and close to his chest.

"I don't plan on making him fight. I want Toshiro to get better just as much as you do." Ichigo told the ice dragon. "I'm just glad you remember him!" Ichigo rubbed his neck.

"You are Ichigo Kurosaki." Hyorinmaru looked over the substitute shinigami.

"Yeah?" Ichigo said slowly.

"My master has told me about you." Hyorinmaru stated.

"Huh? What did he say?" Ichigo tilted his head confused.

"That you don't call him Hitsugaya taicho, no matter how much he tells you too. He also respects you as a person and the power you possess." Hyorinmaru said calmly.

"He does?" Ichigo looked down at the unconscious taicho in surprise.

"Hmm. He also sees you as an older brother, but he would never admit it." Hyorinmaru brushed a strand of white hair off of Toshiro's forehead absently.

"Really?" Ichigo's eyes softened as he smiled at Hitsugaya and Hyorinmaru 'hmm'ed in response.

"I have a question for you… Why do insist calling my master by his first name?" Hyorinmaru asked curiously, knowing that his master also wondered this every time the substitute shinigami came around.

"Uh well… In the world of the living, when you are friends with people… You call them by their first name. I consider Toshiro a friend so that's why I guess." Ichigo scratched his orange hair.

"A friend…" Hyorinmaru nodded his head and Ichigo just smiled awkwardly.

"I would take Toshiro to the 4th division soon… Captain Unohana is the best, Toshiro will be back on his feet in no time." Ichigo said cheerfully.

"I shall do so… Thank you… Ichigo." Hyorinmaru stood up slowly, still holding his master to his chest, trying not to jostle him.

"Just take care of him Hyorinmaru." Ichigo gave the zanpakuto a two-fingered salute before once again using shunpo.

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Hyorinmaru focused and ice wings appeared on his back as he rose into the sky. He flew off towards the outlines of the 4th division barracks. He knew that the alarms would go off the moment he got close and shinigami's would attack. However he knew that his master needed medical attention soon and he would just have to take his chances. He flew at a pace that would not harm his master ad sure enough when he got close to the barracks the alarms blared loudly and he formed a barrier of ice around himself and his master and kept flying towards the barracks. He hovered above the courtyard and looked down through the cracks of his ice wings.

Unohana, Ukitake and Kyoraku taicho's were appearing in the courtyard, flanked by other shinigami's with their swords drawn.

"Isn't that Hitsugaya taicho's zanpakuto?" Kyoraku asked tipping back his hat as he looked up.

"Your master is not here, this is not a place to fight." Ukitake called out.

"I did not come here to fight." Hyorinmaru said and he floated down towards the group of shinigami's.

"Then why did you come here?" Kyoraku asked.

"I came here because my master is injured…" Hyorinmaru said as he opened his ice wings showing the limp and unconscious form of Hitsugaya in his arms.

"Hitsugaya taicho…" Unohana murmured as the shinigami's around her gasped at the sight.

"Please… Help him." Hyorinmaru looked right at Unohana.

"Of course, please follow me." Unohana said pleasantly, turning towards the entrance of the barracks.

"Thank you Unohana taicho." Hyorinmaru bowed his head.

He watched the door that the taicho and some of the others that worked in the 4th division had disappeared into to heal his master. He stood like an ice sculpture outside the door, waiting for news. He noticed Ukitake and Kyoraku taicho's slowly walking towards him.

"You are Hyorinmaru correct?" Ukitake asked calmly.

"That is correct." Hyorinmaru said just as calmly.

"What happened?" Kyoraku asked.

"Muramasa approached me the same way he did the other zanpakuto. Trying to get me to leave my master, but I naturally refused… He resorted to a dirty trick… He forcibly ripped me away from my master and wiped my memory." Hyorinmaru explained what happened. "My master gave everything he had to make me remember."

"Toshiro is stubborn." Ukitake smiled softly.

"Why did you refuse to leave on your own free will?" Kyoraku asked intrigued.

"The other zanpakuto left because they felt their masters did not appreciate them, amongst other things. I never felt that way when with my master." Hyorinmaru smiled softly at a memory. "After all this is not the first time I took this materialized form."

"It isn't?" Ukitake asked surprised, Kyoraku looked just as surprised as Ukitake sounded.

"No, a few months after my master gained my power he was training and he was focusing his reiatsu and I took this physical form." Hyorinmaru explained thinking back to that day.

"But that would take a ton of reiatsu, concentration, physical power and… It has never been done by a shinigami before." Kyoraku said in amazement.

"My master is one of a kind… There is a reason behind why I materialized…" Hyorinmaru took a breath. "My master was lonely, I could no longer stand by and watch. Our feelings melded together and our reiatsu took action."

"Toshiro…" Ukitake ran his hand through his white hair. "I thank you for being there for him."

Hyorinmaru nodded his head.

"How many times have you materialized before now?" Kyoraku asked interested.

"Once a week, sometimes more. You should take a look at my master's room when you get a chance." Hyorinmaru stated as the doors beside him opened and his master was rolled out and into another room.

"How is he?" Ukitake asked Unohana.

"He will be fine after some time. He is physically and emotionally exhausted, he will not be able to fight for some time." Unohana reported.

"But he will be fine will he not be?" Hyorinmaru asked worry shining in his eyes.

"Yes he will be fine. Would you like to sit with him?" Unohana asked kindly. Hyorinmaru bowed his head and followed the taicho into his master's room.

Hitsugaya was lying tucked in the bed, his skin blending in with the white sheets that were covering his small body.

"My master…" Hyorinmaru whispered, placing his hand on Toshiro's forehead.

"You truly care for Toshiro don't you?" Unohana asked softly adjusting the IV drip.

"I do." Hyorinmaru said softly sitting onto the chair beside his master's bed.

"Good, I'm glad." Unohana said with a smile. "He needs someone like you."

"My master looks up to you… He see's you as what he hoped his mother was like." Hyorinmaru stated and smiled softly at how Unohana stilled for a moment before she absently tucked the sheets closer around Toshiro's body.

"If I had a son… No… I see Toshiro as a son." Unohana smiled.

Ukitake and Kyoraku looked in on the white hair taicho, seeing he was in good hands. The two exchanged looks before they left the 4th division, heading stealthy towards the 10th division barracks. They surprisingly didn't run into any trouble and entered the hallway that lead to Hitsugaya's room.

"Should we? I mean it is Toshiro's room…" Ukitake looked at his best friend who just smiled and pushed open the door and the two stared in amazed. They expected it to be plain and simple. What it was instead was the opposite; the walls were covered in beautiful ice designs. Ice sculptures were everywhere around the room, each one different than the others. The designs ranged from dragons, to images of people to just random shapes. In the middle of the room were two beds inches apart from the other, one was covered in ice and the other had fluffy light blue sheets.

"Huh, looks like Hyorinmaru wasn't lying." Kyoraku said impressed as Ukitake took a closer look at one of the ice sculpture and his breath caught in his throat. It was both white haired taicho's together. The taller taicho had his usual kind smile on his lips as he looked down proudly at the smaller taicho, his hand placed on Toshiro's head and the young taicho smiled shyly.

"It also looks like you mean more to the boy than you thought." Kyoraku patted his friend on the shoulder.

"Yeah." Ukitake nodded, his eyes watery. "We should go back to the 4th…"

"Sure." Shunsui guided his friend out of Toshiro's room, pleased at the dopy smile that Ukitake was sporting currently.

Hyorinmaru was sitting like a stone statue beside his master's bed. He had great fun when Isane came in and tried to thaw everything out, only for the zanpakuto to refreeze everything. He didn't show his amusement but a small twinkle appeared in his eyes. The door slid open and Ukitake and Shunsui peered in and smiled at the sight of Hyorinmaru by his master's side.

"I take it you saw his room? Did you like my sculptures?" Hyorinmaru asked emotionlessly.

"Yes, they were beautiful." Shunsui smiled at the zanpakuto.

"Hyorinmaru when this was all over would you mind…?" Ukitake trailed off.

"Of course." Hyorinmaru smiled, knowing which one the white haired taicho was talking about.

"We will be going now, take good care of him." Shunsui chuckled at the happy expression on his friend's face.

"I will." Hyorinmaru swore. The two taicho's nodded and left the room, leaving the two alone once again.

Hyorinmaru closed his eyes and carefully entered his and Toshiro's shared inner world. The icy landscape bringing comfort to the dragon zanpakuto as the wind ruffled his teal hair. He scanned the inner world for his little master and spotted him a ways away. Hyorinmaru closed his eyes and he took form of the huge ice dragon and he drifted over to the unconscious form of his master. He lowered his face down towards Toshiro's face and huffed cold air from his nose. Toshiro's nose wrinkled as his eyes fluttered open.

"Hy-orinmaru?" Toshiro asked.

"Master, how are you feeling?" Hyorinmaru asked not moving his jaw.

"Everything hurts Hyorinmaru…" Toshiro admitted, he never had to act tough when he was around his zanpakuto.

"I know master… This is my fault… I'm truly sorry." Hyorinmaru huffed the cold again.

"Hey." Toshiro said firmly, holding his hand up and Hyorinmaru nuzzled his nose against the hand softly. "This is not your fault, this is on Muramasa for taking your memories. I don't blame you for this."

"Master…" Hyorinmaru breathed out and curled his long icy body around the smaller form of his master. Hitsugaya managed to get himself into a seated position and curled up against Hyorinmaru's side comfortably. Hyorinmaru settled his head beside his master's body and closed his eyes in comfort. Hitsugaya placed his free hand on top of the ice dragon's head and Hyorinmaru 'hm'ed in comfort.

"Don't leave?" Toshiro murmured as his eyes slowly closed.

"I won't… Never again." Hyorinmaru swore to both himself and his master.

Their bond would only get stronger after this incident and no body would get in the way of that bond ever again.


End file.
